Have you ever wondered if you should be concerned about the dangerous chemicals in your manicure products and in the nail salons you frequent?

The answer is “yes!”  It turns out that toxic chemicals that you apply to your body (including your fingernails and toenails) are even more harmful than the ones you ingest, because they go straight into your bloodstream, rather than getting diluted in the stomach first.

Nail polish and manicure products contain some of the most dangerous toxic chemicals of all, such as Formaldehyde, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), and Toluene.

• Formaldehyde: Formaldehyde is a chemical compound which is widely used in industrial manufacturing and a number of other industries.  It can also be used in things like glues, preservatives, antiseptics, resins, paints, film processing, and embalming.  It generally does not exist in nail polish, but is used in some nail hardeners to make the polish tough and resilient  It is toxic and is known to cause cancer, developmental and reproductive toxicity, allergies and immunotoxicity, occupational hazards, organ system toxicity, skin/eye/lung irritation and biochemical or cellular level changes. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) gives it a score of 10 (with 10 being the most harmful).
• Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP): DBP is a commonly used plasticizer. It is also used as an additive to adhesives or printing inks.  It acts as a binder to improve the lasting power of nail lacquer and prevent chips and cracks.  It is toxic and known to cause cancer, developmental and reproductive toxicity, allergies and immunotoxicity, organ toxicity, skin/eye/lung irritation, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption and persistence and bioaccumulation in wildlife.  It has an EWG score of 10.
• Toluene: Toluene has an overpowering scent that is similar to paint remover or turpentine.  It helps nail polish go on smoothly and adhere evenly to the nail. It is added to gasoline, used to produce benzene, and used as a solvent.  If it is ingested, it can cause liver and kidney damage, anemia, or problems with the upper respiratory tract. It may cause serious birth defects. If it is inhaled for a long period of time, it could cause chemical pneumonitis — a condition that is potentially fatal.  Symptoms of toluene exposure can include fatigue, sleepiness, headaches, sore throat and nausea.  It is also known to cause cancer, developmental toxicity, allergies and immunotoxicity, organ system toxicity, skin and eye  irritation, neurotoxicity, occupational hazards, persistence and bioaccumulation in wildlife and benzene concerns (Benzene is a natural part of crude oil. Some industries use benzene to make other chemicals.  It is also used to make some types of rubbers, lubricants, dyes, detergents, drugs, and pesticides.) The EWG gives toluene a score of 10.

EWG’s Skin Deep database provides consumers with easy-to-navigate safety ratings for a wide range of products and ingredients on the market. Hazard ratings within Skin Deep are shown as low, moderate, or high concern categories, with numeric rankings spanning those categories that range from 0 (low concern) to 10 (high concern).

Now that you know about the risks involved in using standard manicure and pedicure products, how do you find the healthy ones?  And, how do you find educated local nail salons, nail techs and manicurists, who don’t put your health at risk either?

There are many products in the marketplace, including manicure products, that claim to be more natural and risk-free.  Here’s one, Priti NYC, that actually makes good on its claims.  (And, there is a new, fume-free nail salon in Denver, Colorado who carries this line, along with other more safe and natural manicure products.)

The word “Priti” has many meanings in Sanskrit, such as out of satisfaction, with love, and pleasurable sensation.

About Priti NYC:

• Priti NYC is considered a pioneer and leader in eco-friendly manicure products.
• Founded by Kim D’Amato during her pregnancy. (D’Amato made a conscious effort to switch to organic foods and health products, yet couldn’t seem to find a way to beautify herself in the same natural manner.)
• Mission: to support organic farmers and to decrease the amount of chemicals poisoning the earth- and it’s inhabitants-one manicure at a time.
• Also manufactures a completely biodegradable soy nail polish remover, making it safe for children and pregnant women to use.
• Polishes have been completely formulated without any Formaldehyde, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Toluene, and Camphor.
• Cruelty Free and 100% Vegan
• In addition to being less toxic, their nail polishes are very moisturizing, helping to rebuild natural nail strength, for longer and stronger nails.
• No synthetic fragrances or colors, relying only on organic essential oils and botanicals for treating the skin.

What is Priti NYC’s EWG score?:

The answer depends on which Priti NYC product or line you are using.  Since Priti isn’t yet in EWG’s database, we took great pangs to research the individual ingredients in the color “256-American Star” from the Priti “Flowers” line.  According to our calculations, the good news is, this particular color got an average EWG score of 2.6!

To learn more about Priti NYC or to find a Priti salon near you, visit http://www.pritinyc.com.

To learn more about the super friendly (and eco-friendly!) ÜberChic Nail Boutique in Denver CO, visit the owner, BK, and her two sisters at http://www.uberchicboutique.com

(and tell them that Feel Good Buzz sent you!).

For more information about other healthy nail products, see our “Pretty Nails Without the Health Risks” at http://www.feelgoodbuzz.com/pretty-nails-without-the-health-risks.html.

(Sources of information for this review: http://www.ewg.org/skindeep, http://www.alllacqueredup.com/ 2007/05/big-3-chemicals-that-is.html,http://www.stylelist.com/2009/04/23/formaldehyde-and-nailpolish/, http://planetgreen.discovery.com/fashion-beauty/toluene.html, http://www.wikipedia.com, and http://www.wisegeek.com)

In case you need more incentive to make the switch to eating whole grains, research now shows that eating whole grains reduces body fat! . . .

Here’s a great reason to switch completely from refined flour products to whole grains: In a new study by the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, at Tufts University, adults who ate three servings of whole grains a day while also eating less than one serving a day of commercially enriched flour products had less of a type of fat tissue that is thought to play a key role in triggering diseases.  The fat is known as visceral adipose tissue, or VAT, which surrounds internal organs.

The researchers examined 2,834 participants, ages 32 to 83, and VAT volume was approximately 10 percent lower in the healthy eating group.  However, lead study author Nicola McKeown, Ph.D., explains that, “Whole grain consumption did not appear to improve VAT volume if refined grain intake exceeded four or more servings per day.  This result infers that it is important to make substitutions in the diet, rather than simply adding whole grain foods.  (For example, choosing to cook with brown rice instead of white, or making a sandwich with whole grain bread instead of white bread.)”

(Source: May, 2011 issue of Denver/Boulder Mile High Natural Awakenings Magazine)

More on Whole Grains:

Whole grain flours are made from the whole kernels of grains – both the inside part of the grain and the outer covering called the husk. (Refined white flours are made from wheat that has had the husk removed; this gives a lighter texture and taste to baked goods but removes a some of the nutrition and fiber. Most flour is enriched with some vitamins and minerals, but doesn’t have the fiber of whole wheat or other whole grain flours.)

When grocery shopping and reading labels, look for “100% whole grain” or “100% whole wheat” without any regular refined flour (flour or wheat flour that doesn’t have 100% whole grain right in front of it). And double check the claims on the front of the package. Some food manufacturers state “made with whole grains” but contain a lot of refined flour, or state the product has a specific number of grams of whole grain rather than grams of fiber, which is what you’re looking for.

Health Benefits of Whole Grains:

• Whole grains are rich in fiber, which may help with weight management and reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and constipation.
• Eating grains fortified with folate before and during pregnancy helps prevent neural tube defects during fetal development.

Nutrient Benefits of Whole Grains:

• Grains are important sources of many nutrients, including dietary fiber, several B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate), and minerals (iron, magnesium, and selenium).
• Dietary fiber from whole grains, as part of an overall healthy diet, helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease. Fiber is important for proper bowel function. It helps reduce constipation and diverticulosis. Fiber-containing foods such as whole grains help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories. Whole grains are good sources of dietary fiber; most refined (processed) grains contain little fiber.
• B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate) play a key role in metabolism – they help the body release energy from protein, fat, and carbohydrates. B vitamins are also essential for a healthy nervous system.
• Folate (folic acid), another B vitamin, helps the body form red blood cells. Women of childbearing age who may become pregnant and those in the first trimester of pregnancy should consume adequate folate, including folic acid. This reduces the risk of neural tube defects, spina bifida, and anencephaly during fetal development.
• Iron is used to carry oxygen in the blood. Many teenage girls and women in their childbearing years have iron-deficiency anemia.
• Whole grains are sources of magnesium and selenium. Magnesium is a mineral used in building bones and releasing energy from muscles. Selenium protects cells from oxidation. It is also important for a healthy immune system.

What are the Best Whole Grains to Eat?:

Since you’re trying to do the best thing for your body by eating whole grains anyway, why not do one even better and choose alkalizing whole grains (that also happen to be mostly gluten-free)?  Alkaline whole grains include brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, kamut (not gluten-free), millet, bulger, corn, buckwheat, oats, spelt (not gluten-free) and wild rice. (You’re eating whole grains when you eat oatmeal, popcorn and buckwheat pancakes.)

You can even “kick it up a notch” further by selecting (alkalizing) sprouted whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, millet, bulger, corn, buckwheat, oats and wild rice grains and breads! (For more info. on sprouted foods, see our FGB post: http://www.feelgoodbuzz.com/the-benefits-and-wisdom-of-eating-raw-foods.html).

(Excerpted in part from: http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyournutritionist/f/whole_grains.htm)

Alkaline Diet Refresher:

For more on the importance of alkalizing foods and acid/alkaline (pH) balance, please see our previous FGB posts (http://www.feelgoodbuzz.com/the-benefits-and-wisdom-of-eating-raw-foods.html, http://www.feelgoodbuzz.com/how-is-ph-balance-connected-to-healing-healthy-living-and-disease-prevention.html, http://www.feelgoodbuzz.com/the-magic-of-alkaline-water-for-amazing-health-and-healing.html). Basically, all foods that we digest release an alkaline ash (bicarbonate) or an acid ash into blood and tissues of the body depending on the mineral compounds that the foods contain.

Dr. Mary Ruth Swope, in “Green Leaves of Barley” commented that acidosis destroys bones, and to keep the blood ph level (7.35 – 7.45) out of the acid range (ph below 7.0), the body has the tendency to steal alkalizing minerals from them. Research has confirmed that unless our body is slightly alkaline, healing from various acidosis would not be possible. Thus, our body must buffer the acid and borrow the minerals we can get from alkaline foods.

As the body tries to restore equilibrium, maintaining the correct acidity-alkalinity balance in the blood is important to achieve wholesome wellness. As the consequence of an acidic diet, the body’s ability to absorb enough nutrients and minerals decreases and makes us more susceptible to various types of diseases. Therefore, proponents and other nutritionists are suggesting an alkaline diet for its wide-ranging health claims.

(Excerpted from http://thealkalinefoods.com.)

Stay tuned for future FGB posts about gluten-free grains, grain allergies, the great debate about whether or not we even need grains at all and more!